Facade
by musicbox's will
Summary: Just a little white sheet of paper, it all started with that white sheet of paper... -RN-
1. Pick Up The Pieces

_Facade_

_Disclaimer: Don't own KH..._

_Summary: He didn't know that a little white piece of paper could change him. -RN- -SK- -RX- -TA- -OH- _

**ONE: Pick Up The Pieces**

_X. .X SEARCHING FOR RESULTS FOR Facade Of The Mask RIGHT NOW X. .X_

_Her hands glided across the piano in a swift movement. Such an action, just a light touch. The sound came out loud and clear. Then, she found her hands moving on their own and she became lost in the melody. The black and white keys became a blur to her as her hands darted up and down the instrument. Sunlight hit her pale face as she continued to play. She loved the warmth it provided her and felt a smile grow across her soft, pink, lips. Her blond hair swept to the side as she felt a gush of wind come rushing through the window. _

_She continued to play the sweet melody, unaware that someone was listening and very intently._

* * *

_The boy had gotten lost on his way to his dorm and had heard the youth playing the instrument in such a way that he couldn't help, but listen closely. He lightly pressed his ear against the door and let his mind wander. Wander to the time when he was young and everything had been so simplistic and not at all complicated. When everything was different. Very different, when he didn't have to know anything and nobody shook their heads in dismay at his unthinkable actions. _

_All so simple and plain. Simply plain._

_No one had labels and the leaders where the good guys, not the bad ones. Sadly enough, he found himself turning into one of the 'Bad Boys' and he didn't like it. Didn't like it one bit. For, he knew he was hiding himself under a mask wishing to only be accepted. To be wanted. Everyone had on a mask as far as he could see, some had been cracked, but everyone was wearing one. No exceptions._

_Everyone was lying to each other as far as he knew, even if he tried to stand out and fight back; he couldn't. _

_Weak. That's all he was, nothing more, nothing less. Just weak. And he hated it. He hated it with a burning passion, yet that passion didn't help him. Even if he felt the need to do something, knowing it was wrong; he didn't. He was just too afraid. Why was he so afraid? Why wasn't he strong like his father?_

_Like his father, who had went through many things. Horrible things, terrifying things, and beautiful things..._

* * *

_Her eyes closed and she let a small chuckle escape her lips. She loved the feel of the keys, so smooth and soft._

_Suddenly, she was in her own world. Swirls of blues and pinks passed her and she was soon engulfed in the colors. It felt so nice, a perfect get-a-way from the real her voice could finally be heard. Where only what she wanted to exist, existed._

_The one place where she was actually needed._

_In a beautiful sanctuary with glass tiles and a gorgeous view. A place where she wasn't swallowed into darkness. Where she wasn't alone. The chiming of the bells accompanied her and where the wind would always tell her a million secrets. The kind of secret where she would smile to herself and giggle, knowing something others didn't._

_A place that wasn't real, yet it felt amazing being there._

_To just sit and listen to everything go by and not care because you're not a part of it. Somewhere you don't have to feel pain or sadness. Yet, the girl still felt alone in her own little world._

_So afraid and alone. Sometimes she felt as if she were shouting, but no one was listening to her words. Even if she screamed her loudest, no one could hear. For, there were many other sounds, and better to listen to._

_Her blue eyes opened and her special place vanished from her eyes. What was left of the fantasy was the tainted white curtains._

_Always the curtains._

_Her bare feet touched the coolness of the spotless, wooden, floor and her eyes began examining the area carefully. The glossy, black, piano with its leather chair. The bright yellow walls decorated with pictures and books neatly put into certain areas. The bookshelves that held no books, but delicate antiques. Lastly, the windows with the way they clattered when a breeze rushed by, even though they had been left open._

_Her blue eyes found its way to the windows and she stood up quietly and walked towards them._

_ - Click -_

_- Click -_

_- Click -_

_The sound of her shoes echoed throughout the entirety of the room and she slowly made her way to her destination. Finally she reached the opened windows and placed her frail hands on the smooth railing. She inhaled the fresh air and sighed inwardly. She peered out into the town and was surprised at what she saw._

_Children laughing, birds chirping, and green leaves rustling. Tall buildings and trees were scattered all around. The sun embraced everyone gently, yet it wasn't too hot. It felt just right on her porcelain colored skin. The youth loved how the scenario looked so...so..._

_Innocent._

_This was the kind of place she was talking about; where everyone was happy and merry. But she knew. Oh, she knew for sure though. Not ever were things as they seemed._

_Not ever._

_She knew many other things too. Never be gullible because bad things could happen. She knew. This lead to things called regrets._

_'If only' or 'I shouldn't have done that,' won't fix the problem. No, regretting things will never help. Sitting on a bed crying does nothing. Nothing at all, but make people pity the person who sulked all the time. No one wants pity though, only the ones who are weak seek this. _

_Don't regret, fix the conflict or at least try. That is the girl's advice to you. For, she understood all these things. All these terrible things. _

_She continued to stare out longingly and then averted her eyes to the ground. The wooden, smooth, floor. Tears brimmed at the edge of her cerulean eyes, but she forced herself not to weep._

_It wouldn't help anything._

_She hated when she thought of the past. The cruel, sad, and terrible past. Where everything went wrong. Her past. She gripped the railing which, in return made her knuckles turn extremely white. _

_White, white was pure, white was good, white was no one. Nobody. Everyone was imperfect, no one could go through their lives sinless. Everyone had a secret. A deep part of them that was kept hidden from all, because no one wanted to see. No one ever did. Not even then._

_No one wanted to look past their ignorance to see others who were hurting. Maybe even worse than themselves. But there were people who looked past it all and saw the facade. The broken and sorrowful life of people._

_Special people._

_She was one of them. She saw through everything and understood. Many would lash out on her when she said things they didn't want to hear._

_The ugly truth. Or is it really all that ugly? If the truth is ugly does that mean lies are beautiful? Ugly is the word to describe something repulsive._

_Not a being's outer face. _

_Using the word could cut through others like knives. Shattered them into a thousand pieces no one wanted to pick up and left them there waiting for someone. When nobody came to rescue them. Due to them not wanting themselves getting hurt. Always about themselves. The answer lies with the people who were broken._

_Those people had to pick themselves up, no matter how hard the task. They had to do it on their own._

_All alone. _

_Like herself. _

_When the words had been flung at her, she had no strength and had stepped down from the pedestal like a coward and ran. Ran away from all the hate, yet it still lingered. She had cried many nights and finally she had fought back. It was just a little hit, but the enemy stepped back and sprinted away. Others still tried to break her, unfortunately._

_Then, she learned how to smile even when the going got tough. Even if they struck her hard. she would have the brightest smile on her face. Some people who had shown her kindness, secretly always lurked in the shadows. It made her a little sad that they always hid._

_The ones that picked up some of the broken pieces and tried to help. Those were the ones who were brave. It didn't matter if they had hid in the dark, they had tried to help her when no one else would. The courageous ones were the people who helped her publicly._

_The ones who fought by her side like a __**true**__ friend._

_She would always remember them because they had taught her something very important. To look beyond the surface and never give up. Then, they all had forgotten about her and left._

_Now, she knew no one had a true friend._

_Then, she had began thinking of fantasy worlds where everything seemed perfect and was always calm. This was her._

_Her._

_The first person he had ever saw not wear a mask._

_He could recall every single detail of when he met her and how she had changed his life. How angelic she had looked as she turned her head to face him. How her blue eyes connected with his and he had stumbled back stunned by her beauty._

_What is beauty though? We may never know._

_How the wind had rushed by and made her look so pretty. So, so, pretty. He had ruffled his hair nervously and strolled towards her. His eyes had never left hers and it seemed as if the world stopped. There was only him and her._

_Him and her._

_He had stuck out his hand and introduced himself, his voice clear and calming. "Roxas."_

_She had given him a slight smile as a blush had risen to her cheeks and he thought it was adorable. Then, she had rummaged around the room for a piece of paper and pencil. When finally finding the materials she needed, she had leaned on the piano her blond hair falling into her eyes as she wrote._

_After a few minutes, she handed Roxas the paper and he read her handwriting carefully._

_'Hi I'm Naminé.' Oh how the little white paper had turned things upside down for the blond-haired boy. _

_He had kept on reading the words over and over, trying his best not to believe them. Yet, they made so much sense. It made all the puzzle pieces fall into place. Everything fell into place._

_That's when he found out she was a mute._

_**-FIN-**_

_**Author's Note: I don't know where this idea came from. All I can say is I was thinking about this kid who I witnessed being bullied earlier yesterday and it had made me very upset. Why bully? It's stupid and immature! I guess I just vented all my feelings out onto paper. I'm not sure I'll continue, but I might. Also, if I do I'll have to work extra hard on this little 'project'.**_

_**Hope this wasn't just a blob a gibberish to you all! I'm not sure if what I wrote made any sense. O.o Isn't that really odd? Well, I think it is! Hmm...It's probably bad to start another story, but oh well! I'm not even sure if I'll update this!**_

_**Hehehe...**_

_**It's raining outside and I'm listening to soothing music. Tell me what you think please! I really want to know! I think this may be the longest thing I've ever written...**_

_**If so then...XD**_

_**Originally, musicbox**_


	2. Not As They Seem

_Facade_

_**TWO: Not As They Seem**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own KH! When will you people learn that!?**_

* * *

- Naminé -

The pale girl walked down the street silently, not even hearing her own footsteps. It had always been this way, moving on quietly and unnoticed. No one was aware of her presence and it made the teen feel anger and loneliness. Why was she born this way? Why couldn't she speak? Why couldn't she speak up? _Literally. _Maybe, if she wasn't like this her family wouldn't give her that look of pity every time she came home to visit.

How she _hated_ that look. That look of disappointment and sadness, like no one would accept her for who she was. For not having a voice, not being able to fit in, and not being able to laugh aloud. It made her want to break down crying and she just wanted _somebody_ to hear. Anyone. This was her life though, not some perfect life that everyone wished for.

For, a perfect life was boring.

Her family had thought it was best to send her away to boarding school and get away from the problems they faced. AKA, _her. _Naminé, the Mute Girl. She felt _truly _angry knowing the truth. The truth that makes everyone mad, the truth that everyone wanted to deny, when it's just _true. _Nothing more, nothing less.

People bustled past her, pushing the blond to the side. No one cared. That's how she thought. Her parents never seemed the least bit proud of her, not even when she got straight A's in school. Then, she found out why. _"She's not normal." _What was so bad about being a bit odd? She didn't see the problem, but it was so obvious to everyone else. It was _too_ obvious and after that, she had decided to become as 'average' as she could.

What exactly _was '_average' though? No one she had known was normal, it would be creepy if they were.

She was in the shadows now, all alone in the dark hoping no one would notice her. Yet, she was wishing they _at least _gave her a second glance, even if she knew no one would. Everyone was just too ignorant to see. The girl soon found herself back to reality and sighed inwardly.

The sun embraced the youth as she continued strolling towards her destination. Along the way, she couldn't help but think of her earlier encounter with Roxas. It had been weeks and neither one talked, well, not exactly _talked,_ but wrote to each other. It was just a little meeting, that was all she thought of it.

It was bothering her though. In courtesy of being deep in her thoughts she failed to notice someone coming her way and instantly bumped into the person.

Sneering disgustedly at the girl, Kairi started to question the teen. "Well, aren't you going to apologize? Or are you just another one of those damned snobs that has way too much pride? Answer me!"

The teen on the floor looked at the ground, which was much more interesting than the girl screaming at her. By-standers watched the scenario, forgetting all their appointments. The blond's hair swayed as she continued to look at the ground wondering the same thing.

_'Why me? Why is it always me?'_

The girl with cherry red hair felt something boil up inside of her as she watched the girl pick up her supplies like nothing had happened. She _hated_ when people did that. It wasn't that she was really mean, it was just that she was having a bad day and this girl just had so much pride to the point where she was ignoring her!

_Don't assume, because you'll just misunderstand and end up looking like a fool._

Kairi was furious now! Why the _hell_ was this girl being so ignorant? Why didn't she say something? She glared at the youth accusingly, her eyes following her every movement. Now remember, she didn't know about Naminé's condition.

The blond couldn't do anything, if she pushed the girl then she would come off as rude and she couldn't exactly tell her off either. So, what was she to do?

* * *

- Roxas -

He sat in the chair twirling his pencil and looked out the window boredly. It was Fall now and surely enough had leaves started to fall from its withered branches. No more beautiful colors of green to see, but instead a bunch of ugly orange and brown leaves. It's not that he _hated _the season, it was just that it wasn't his favorite. No one had to know that though, for he had to keep his reputation going.

Which he _hated. _

It was more like he was entertaining children than being himself. He felt like a zoo animal. Why was he hiding again? Why was he hiding who he _really _was? Why was there always something he had to hide from people?

It made no sense. No sense at all.

That's when he forgot all about his surroundings and sat there thinking. Everything had disappeared and he was in his own little world. Finally away from all the stupid drama in his life. He honestly didn't understand why all the girls had to act all dramatic and back-stab each other. There was no point in it at all.

Why hurt someone you used to be friends with over a petty reason? He _hated _it when they said it was for something like' It was for love' or 'I don't know'. How do you _not _know why you hurt another human being? How do you _not _know? Of course you know why! He had always wanted to scream that at people because it was so obvious.

No one wanted to admit their motives, or that was what he thought personally. Then, his mind drifted to the blond-haired girl. He found himself thinking about her a lot lately. Like he was addicted to her. He didn't know why though.

Why did he think about her so much now-a-days? Why was he thinking of Naminé? Her name gave him shivers. It was just so, so, _beautiful._

Suddenly, he heard the bell ring and ran straight for the door, not caring if teachers yelled at him. He had _never _cared about that. The reason why he had to stay after school was because he had gotten detention, apparently saying a 'bad word' wasn't allowed at school which sort of made him mad. He was a _teen_ for goodness sake! He didn't want to deal with this baby crap!

A smile spread across Roxas' face as he watched the leaves whirl around. _'Free at last.'_

"Roxas! We love you!"

...Or maybe not.

* * *

- Kairi -

_Perfect._

The only thing people thought of her. They were jealous and _no _she wasn't just saying that to be conceited. Everyone thought she had the perfect life, but she didn't. She knew pain and no one thought she did, which pissed her off. _Especially, _when some kid came up to her and said she had gone through nothing.

Like they _knew _her.

She honestly didn't understand how someone could say such a thing. Say all this crap to her and then go off to tell some kid how stupid they were. It _amazed _her. Yes, she judged a bit too quickly, but everyone had their flaws. ...Right? Everybody tried to tell her off and act like she was heartless. It made her _so _infuriated! How could they say such things?! What she hated the most was this stupid boarding school she had attend. Sure, she had some anger issues, but still; wasn't this going overboard?

Wasn't this too much?

She hated the stupid school so much because of the ignorant people and how they acted like she was invisible. Like she had never existed. Then, when someone got hurt everyone would laugh and point.

Point at their own _friends. _

How could someone do such a thing? How could they be so messed up? How? Why was society so messed up? What happened to sticking with friends through thick and thin? What happened to that? Why had everyone _changed?_

Changed. Sometimes she loathed the word and that was most of the time.

She just wanted to go back to the old days when everything seemed innocent. For one day. Just one day, but it was just a silly dream. It was never going to happen. _Never. _

She had been having a bad day and it seemed to be getting worse and worse. Suddenly she felt a bump and then papers were flying. No. Just _no. _She wasn't going to take it anymore.

That had been the last straw.

* * *

- Sora -

Always so cheerful and nice. Those had been the two words everyone would use to describe Sora. Yes, he _was _nice, but they didn't know about his past. About all the things he went through and how he was torn apart from his family. He knew no one would believe him if he told them and didn't want the pity. For, he was the guy everyone would goof around with, but nobody took him seriously. _That, _was the thing that made him angry.

Just because he knew how to smile didn't mean he didn't know when to serious! He just wasn't like that _all _the time. It was just that no one saw him when he was mad or feeling depressed. He made _sure _ everyone only saw him when he was jumping for joy.

He hated it when people thought he was naïve or stupid. How they would point and laugh at him like he didn't know. Like he didn't understand why they were laughing, when in reality he did. He knew what they were chucking at, yet he tried not to care.

Not to care that he knew, not to care that he was holding a fake smile on his face, not to care about it at all. How come they didn't see? How come they never saw how angry he was at them? How come?

_Only true friends are able to see past the facade._

His so-called "friends" were nothing to him. _Nothing. _Yet, he always standing up for them and not watching in the corner. Maybe he was hoping they would do the same, but he knew they wouldn't. They never even said 'Thank you' to him! Sora felt unappreciated and stupid.

Even _if _he wasn't. Everybody made him feel like that.

That's what _really _got to him. Why was he even standing by their side? How did he even put up with them?

_Why?_

Suddenly, he heard something that stopped his heart.

"Why are you even friends with Sora? He's just a stupid, immature kid!"

"Don't know, guess I feel _bad _for him."

Oh _hell _no. He didn't even want to hear the rest if it, but he stood in place feeling ever word stabbing him. Every _single _word. Standing behind the building he watched and he just wanted to scream. Just _scream. _

But he didn't. He just walked over there and smiled that goofy smile of his. Sora began joking around, but the words were in the back of his mind. Piercing him and it hurt to look at them and just laugh. It made him _sick. _

_"It'll be alright."_

_..._

_'No it won't mom.'_

_..._

_"Just smile and everyone will smile with you."_

_..._

_'That's a lie.'_

_..._

_"You make everyone happy."_

_..._

_'No I don't, I'm just a fool to them.'_

_..._

_"A true friend will come by, I promise."_

_..._

_'Then I guess your promise is broken.'_

He couldn't afford to let all his genuine emotions out. He couldn't.

So he just smiled that fake smile of his.

* * *

_**-FIN-**_

_**Author's Note: Sorry if there are any errors! I hoped you liked this chappie! I worked really hard on it! I'm honestly hoping this had a bit of the same feel to it as the first chapter! Well, not exactly the same, but kind of. Glad I finally got around to writing the last part to it! **_

_**What do you think of Kairi in this story? I feel neutral about her. :P**_

_**XD Now, time to move on!**_

_**Thank You To:**_

_**Lionessdreamxx98: Yay! :D I was actually 'feeling' the chapter at the moment. Do you know what I mean? Haha, I also did in this one too! Well, glad you enjoyed it!**_

_**KokoLockhart: Hope I can live up to the expectations of being one of your favorite authors! lol XD**_

_**GurdianCorps89: I find your screen name interesting. :) Happy you favorited. **_

_**Sorry about the long wait! Well, I did tell everyone it would take some time before I updated. Thanks for the support! - Cheers -**_

_**Originally, musicbox**_


	3. Slipping From Their Hands

_Facade_

_**THREE:Slipping From Their Hands**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own KH! When will you people learn that!?**_

* * *

- Xion -

A penny, a dollar, it was all she had. She was known as The Poor Girl. Names had _always _been thrown at her, names she hated more than anything, names she didn't _deserve _to be called. So, she was surprised when she got accepted into the richest boarding school in town. Oh how she should have known, what comes with the good comes with the bad. Now, she sat on the floor caked in whip cream and chocolate cake. She had been so eager to come to a proper school, since her mother had fell into depression a few years ago.

No, she _hadn't _always been 'The Kid On The Street' once long ago, she led a good life. A wonderful, happy, life, but then it had taken a toll when her mom lost her job. She thought it would be fine and her mother could find another one. But she hadn't. She had _loved _her old job and felt heartbroken at the fact that she had lost it. Lost one of the things that highlighted her day.

Then, she just stopped trying. In all of this, her daughter had lost everything too. Yet she was oblivious to this. Xion had begun working harder and tried to get through the tough times and make money for her family. She also began trying to keep her grades up as much as possible, not caring that she lost friends along the way. It's not like she _wanted _to, it just happened.

This though, wasn't what she wanted. She hadn't done anything really, but the girls thought they should 'teach her a lesson' for some reason. She didn't want it.

_But you can't always get what you want._

She knew that, but her stupidity had gotten the better of her. She felt anger get the best of her as she heard the clicking sound of high-heels and laughter. The kind of laughter she didn't want to listen to. It sounded so cruel, mean, and just..._sad. _The raven-haired girl didn't understand why it sounded so sorrowful, but it did. Then, she made the mistake of looking up.

A pair of icy cold blue eyes glared at her sadistically. Suddenly, she felt paralyzed and her veins ran cold. Why was she here in the first place anyways? Oh yeah, to make a better life for herself and her family. That's the reason, but how was she going to do so when everyone acted so carelessly? Like money fell from trees or something!

"You don't belong here, so get out."

The words pierced her. Hard.

She couldn't grasp the fact that these were people who had grown up with everything handed right to them in two seconds flat. Didn't they know when if they lost everything that they would just be left out in the cold? No, of course they wouldn't know. Of course.

_Nobody knows the value of something until they lose it._

She felt every pair of eyes on her, the spotlight was on Xion yet she hated the feeling it gave her. She tried to stand up, but failed and just fell down once more. Snickers erupted throughout the cafeteria and then she just wanted to hide in a corner. She could deal with this though. She could handle them laughing at her, it was nothing.

_Nothing, yet she wanted to cry her eyes out._

"Bastards," The whisper had silenced the whole student body, oddly enough. "You're all just a bunch of bastards that don't know the hardships of life and take it for granted. All for granted, not really giving a shit about what other have to go through."

Then, she saw the shoes of Riku, one of the popular guys at school. His black shiny shoes were hard to look at so she raised her head and saw him scanning her intensely. No one _dared _said a single word.

"Let me help you up." She stared at him wide-eyed and mouth agape. Suddenly, she felt the urge to take his and hand and let him help her. Then, she remembered something; life's hard, so if someone tries to give you something easily they'll most likely want something in return.

He wanted something and desperately. Now that Xion thought of it, he _did _have glint in his eyes. _'No, this is all wrong. No' _She told herself firmly. Her blue eyes inspected him and she knew if she tried to grab his hand, he would pull it back and chuckle.

The thought disheartened her and she found herself in a dilemma. Why would Riku do this if he hadn't come earlier? _Why? _But wouldn't it feel nice to have a friend? Someone who understood you?

Then, she made her final decision.

...

...

...

She glared at him in such a murderous way that he looked shocked. "_No,_" She tugged at her skirt. "I can do it myself." With that she had finally stood up and stormed away.

The teen was somewhat sad though, she had turned down a chance at friendship, something she may never get to have again.

* * *

- Riku -

That black-haired girl had just turned him down! _Him! _The guy girls loved so much. How was it possible? How? Everyone loved him! _Everyone..._Meaning no one.

He was so sure she would fall for his charm! So _sure. _But, it hadn't worked and she had stormed off angrily, like she _knew _what he was going to do. Weren't poor people supposed to be uneducated? He wasn't being stereotypical, it was just that most of them didn't know how to read or anything like that. One thing he didn't know though, was that there were different categories of smart. Differing from one another, book smart, street smart, or people smart.

No, he hadn't known this and he never really had the time to think about it. He was a busy person with other things to worry about, not something as petty as a girl not approving him.

Riku had to worry about things that actually _mattered, _yet he felt curious about her. How she could do that kind of thing and just _know._ That's when he noticed his people were now giving him attention and he gave them a million dollar smile.

_'Just play it off, like nothing unusual happened.' _Was the only thing he chanted to himself as everybody flooded him with questions. _'Just play it off and everything will be fine.' _Though this statement wasn't true, it helped the teen get by.

Get on with life and forget the past.

He _hated _his past.

* * *

- Naminé -

All eyes were on her and she felt horrified. This wasn't supposed to happen! She wasn't _supposed _to gain attention, yet she had. A tinge of pink arose to her cheeks and she hurriedly grabbed her things, before trying to walk off. Unfortunately, the blond wasn't let off so easily. She was pulled back roughly and felt very astonished.

_'Why me? Why?'_

The girl tried her best to keep her blue eyes on the ground as she was turned around quickly.

"Say sorry." The auburn-haired girl had said it like she was a child who had done something terrible. "Say it now!"

_'I can't.'_

People began to mutter about Naminé being a rude child and she began feeling very annoyed. Those people didn't know her! How could they say such things? How? It made no sense to the child as she concentrated on the ground. She wanted to scream, but then that would've been a miracle. A downright miracle.

Her family would take her back and love her for being _normal. _When she thought of it though, she felt something rise inside of her. It would've been wrong though, so _wrong. _Take her back because one of her flaws had gone away? What if they found more and then sent her back? Why didn't they love her instead of pity the child?

Even _if _her family told her how much they loved her, it didn't feel like it. Not at all. It felt nothing but fake. Completely fake. Who would just love her without being fazed by her flaws? The flaws that were so noticable, so different from others, so..._unwanted. _It wasn't fair.

Since when had _anything _been fair though? Since when?

Suddenly, she found herself running from the girl who she couldn't apologize to.

_Literally._

* * *

- Roxas -

He saw the fleeting angel sprinting away from someone. That's what he had dubbed her; an angel. Why? Simply because she looked like one, even if it seemed stereotypical. She had these strange eyes that he could find himself falling deep into, like the ocean. The big, beautiful, ocean. Why was she running though? Then, it seemed the squeals of all the girls around him disappeared and he was off.

Roxas loved the feel of the wind in his hair and continued to run at a constant speed. He passed rolling hills with white-colored fences. It looked so innocent and vibrant. Sadly though, he knew looks could deceive. This place _was _innocent at one time, but that had changed over the years as new people had arrived.

Soon, the town had been flooded with all sorts of people, all friendly, but then the wealthy kids had to come to this town and everything was ruined. Sure, he was a rich kid, but it was _different. _He had lived here all his life was raised in a very distinctive way, different then the foreigners. Not like all the other teens around.

The everlasting sunset made the scenery even more pretty and he couldn't help, but think of the good days. He had always thought of them a lot. Ever since his father had died, he couldn't help but recall memories. Then, he had started to become aware of changes in his mother, how she had this sad smile on her face and how there was no twinkle to her eyes.

Not anymore.

He then pushed the thought from his mind and kept on searching for the quiet girl. He soon spotted her in an empty classroom and sneaked up on her. She jumped and then saw it was him; Roxas.

Naminé gave him a gentle smile before looking down. He soon became aware of something; she was crying. He didn't like the way her eyes looked watery and sorrowful. The boy didn't like it at all. He lightly touched her shoulder and found himself not knowing what to do.

So, he stood there watching her and suddenly, he figured out something.

_She was mute, but he could hear her so, so, clearly._

* * *

"These are the troubled teens sir." A man in a white coat handed the principal a file and the man looked at it in an eerie way before tearing it open.

This man in particular, helped children. No one knew _exactly _how, but he did. He study the files thoroughly, despite no sunlight coming through the windows he could see perfectly fine. The professor was an odd man, yet many people praised him for his work. Now that he had a new 'project ' to work on, he found himself rather excited. Then, he sat back in his chair and sighed.

This, was going to be a _very _long school year, these kids were unique and not in a good way...

_**-FIN-**_

* * *

_**Author's Note: I'm thinking of making this story 50 or 60 chapters long. I don't know why though, and most likely won't reach that goal. Oh well! I'll try my hardest though! :D Also, could you please review? I feel sort of lonely here. Not trying to beg anyone or anything, just wanted to know what my readers think and all. **_

_**By the way, there might be a lot of people in the cast and when I'm writing about a certain character's story I probably won't put them in a specific order. I hope you enjoyed! I apologize in advance if there are any errors. I plan to make each chapter 2,000 words each. It's just something that I want to achieve Was this chapter a bit fast?**_

_**Thank You To:**_

_**GurdianCorps89: Haha, thanks. Nothing to be jealous of though! Lol. XD Glad you like this!**_

_**Thanks for the support everyone! **_

_**I should update OATTTCPH now...Hm.**_

_**Originally, musicbox**_


	4. Falling To The Ground

_Facade_

_**Cast-**_

_**Namine- Known as the 'Snob'. No one knows why she doesn't talk. Very few know that she's actually mute.  
**_

_**Xion- The 'Poor Girl'. Her mother has lost motivation and is now penniless. She currently goes to the richest school in Twilight Town.**_

_**Kairi- Known as the 'Perfect Girl' or 'Princess'. With her looks and personality, Kairi's instantly assumed to be the Queen Bee of the school. No one knows that she's actually the Nice Girl.**_

_**Olette- People don't call her anything not knowing of her presence. Oddly enough though, she's called 'ugly' by some of her peers. She used to be one of Roxas' friends.**_

_**Roxas- He plays the 'Bad Boy' role, but is actually very laid-back. Girls are always fighting over him because of his looks. He thinks that everyone hides under a mask.**_

_**Riku- The 'Celebrity' of the school. Girls also fuss over the silver-haired teen. He has a dazzling smile that everyone fell for, until he met Xion.**_

_**Sora- Known as the 'Goofball' of the school, for he's always there to crack a joke. Everyone assumes him to be an airhead.**_

_**Terra- The man behind the famous program M.A.S.K. He works to help people in need. Currently, not much is known about him.**_

_**FOUR:Falling To The Ground**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own KH! When will you people learn that!?**_

* * *

- Olette -

She stared into the mirror and felt tears swell up in her eyes. Her tresses had been tangled in tight knots that she could get out. She gripped the sink and knew that her knuckles were turning white.

_Ugly._

The horrible word haunted her as her breath shortened and she silently cried. She was _ugly. _Everyone had told her that all year, yet she kept a smile on her face. Now though, she felt herself breaking like the seams from clothe coming undone. She tried to smile, but felt it wavering and then, she felt a lump in her throat.

Olette's hand quickly met her lips as she prevented a wail from escaping her mouth. She shouldn't be crying, but it hurt. Maybe, she looked downright pathetic and for once, she was happy being alone. Alone in the dark where no one could see, where no one could hear, where no one could bring her sorrow.

Then, the nightmare she feared the most, came true...

The door opened.

In came Xion covered in food-stained clothes. The raven-haired girl smiled sheepishly before grabbing a bunch of paper towels. She had seen the other girl, but was completely unaware of her sulking due to her cleaning the stains from her uniform. Failing epically, she felt her eyes look towards the other teen and saw her blood-shot eyes.

Their eyes looked for a split second, blue looking into green.

_Only true friends will let you see them cry._

The brunette heard the youth's quiet footsteps and felt paralyzed. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped away quickly, then she met Xion's gaze. Her face softened, but she didn't want to look into the teen's eyes. She wasn't ready to face what was in front of her! Suddenly, a voice interrupted the girl's train of thought.

"Are you okay?" Her voice had been gentle and soothing, almost instantly calming Olette.

She shook her head slowly, for she knew there was no point in lying. No one had asked her that in such a long time and it seemed like such words had become distant. _Too _distant. The black-haired girl gave her a weak smile before saying something. Something that made a friendship blossom.

"It'll be fine, just go forward. The words they speak are nothing and can only make a person stronger." The words had been chosen carefully and then, Xion turned away. Going back to what was assumed as _normal. _

The words didn't leave her mind though. They _never _did.

* * *

- Kairi -

Why had she run off so quickly? Suddenly, Kairi's anger subsided and she felt somewhat _bad. _For what exactly though? Why did it feel like she should be scolded like a child? People stared at her and all she wanted to do was hide. Yet, she couldn't hide. Not in this world, at least.

So, she just forced a smirk upon her face and walked away. She wasn't the bad guy, but people always thought she was. No, she was just misunderstood. It didn't take a genius to figure that out, but everyone always took her bluntness the wrong way. They didn't know she had this kind and caring side to her. It was probably because she didn't want to replay the same scenario again though.

She used to always be the goody-two-shoes, the 'Good Girl, but that was when she had been naive. She had thought the world was all rainbows and sunshine and everyone was just a big, happy, family. That theory had changed over the years and she had learned.

_"Stop!"_

That one word, she had heard it one day while coming home from school and instantly knew the voice. The scream hadn't been hers, but another being's cry for help. She had stopped cold in her steps and ran for it. In result, she had regretted. Then, something dawned on her.

What if that girl was misunderstood? What if she had judged the shy teen wrongly?

_Only when given the time to think; do you know what you should have done._

Then, Kairi was off; sprinting to go find the blond-haired girl.

* * *

- Riku -

"Tch. How can she turn down _Riku?! You!_ I mean you're practically a celebrity here!" One of his friends praised.

Flipping his hair, he grinned which in result made all the girls squeal. "Don't worry, she'll fall for me soon enough."

All his little '_friends' _laughed, right on cue. He knew they didn't care about him, but so what? Why should _he _care? But, there was this nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Then, he began chanting those same words in his mind. _'Play it off, play it off. They won't see through it, no one will.' _

Sometimes he wanted time alone, but when would he ever get that? He was _born _to be in the spotlight, it wasn't a choice. Everyone looked up to him and even _if _he wasn't a good leader he had to act as one. They had picked him, it was their decision.

Did he enjoy playing the role? No, but people chose him. Him, Riku. If he made a mistake; it was all blamed on him. Put on his shoulders and then everyone would turn their backs on him. Was it really his fault though?

Was he the one to be blamed for every _single _bad thing that happened? And if so, then _why _was it his fault? Why was this pressure put on him? It would always be his fault in the end. He chuckled as the friend that had been praising him a minute ago, was now pounding on the table angrily.

_Your audience is waiting, Riku._

* * *

- Sora -

He had just been joking around and feeling peaceful when it happened. Everyone was making fun of him and he acted like they were laughing with him, as usual. They were near the school. They could have gone inside and horsed around, but it was too crowded to be in there. The students could go into the school even when it let out, due to 'Studying Purposes'. His peers had taken advantage of this and used it as a hangout.

Suddenly, he had accidentally slipped.

"Sora, why are you such a dummy?"

His heart had began beating abnormally and his face showed a flash of anger. Which, in return startled everyone. Sora was frozen in place. They had saw that look on his face, that horrible, horrible, look.

"Sora?"

He scratched his head and then turned around quickly. Then, he started to saunter away, as if nothing had happened. Everyone just stared and a silence developed. A silence no one had ever known when Sora was around.

He had messed up, messed up _bad. _Suddenly, he was stopped and was face to face with someone.

"Sora, you are to go to the principal's office. "

"School's over though!" The brunette whined.

"I don't care, now _go."_

* * *

- Roxas -

Now he was walking down the hall with Naminé and it was _awkward. _Someone had interrupted their little 'moment' and told them to go to the principal's office. His feet met the floor quietly and he couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. It had been a long time since he alone with _girl. _

It probably sounded _hilarious, _but sadly, it was true. Those crazy fan-girls had taken up all his time and he had no time to himself. Not to mention that, he basically lost all friends. He had once been part of a group, but everyone had slowly gone away when he hit high school. Everyone began rating him for his looks and soon, he was caught up in all the silly drama.

He wanted so badly to reconcile with his old friends, but _that _wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Finally making it to their destination, they both walked in. A woman led them to the office absent-mindedly.

"Ma'am, why're we being sent to the principal's office?" Roxas asked hesitantly.

She glared at him, as if saying that he wasn't allowed to speak. "You'll find out soon enough. Now _go." _With that, she pushed the duo into a clustered room full of other teens. A man with brown hair stood before them. The dim lighting prevented anyone from seeing any distinctive traits that he had.

"Ah! Now we may begin. We've been waiting for you two. Anyways, you all were selected to be part of the program _M.A.S.K. _It's when teens are chosen and are helped."

"_Helped?!_" Everyone screamed in unison.

"Yes, you all want something in life and can't seem to find it so, now we are going to help you find that something. By the way, I'm Terra." The man informed, ignoring their astonished faces.

No one could believe this! Were they to be deemed the freaks of the school? This wasn't fair! Even _if _they didn't know it yet though...

...

...

...

This was going to be an interesting year, for _everyone..._

* * *

_**-FIN-**_

_**Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait! I was actually planning on ending that chapter differently, but oh well! I hope there was at least some comic relief in this chapter! This story won't be OVERLY serious! :D If this is a bit fast-paced then, I'm sorry. **_

_**Thank You To:**_

_**X-blade025: Yeah, there are some stories that have some really unrealistic problems... XD**_

_**KokoLockhart: I love your username! Lol. :D So happy for your review! **_

_**DiveintoHeart: I think I remember reading one of your stories. Did you change your username? XD I hope everyone can relate to some of the characters!**_

_**Lionessdreamxx98: Thank you! XD I'm happy you like my writing style!**_

_**Namiroku, wonbadan, Projekt Darkside: Thanks for the alerts!**_

_**I'm a happy child today! Thank you everyone for your support! Stay awesomely awesome!**_

_**Chapter Five's Title: Trying To Reconcile**_

_**Hope you enjoyed!**_

_**Originally, musicbox**_


	5. Trying To Reconcile

_Facade_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own KH people...**_

_**FIVE: Trying To Reconcile**_

* * *

Terra sighed tiredly as he ran a hand through his hair. What was he to do with this group of _special _teens? Not only were they a handful, but M.A.S.K. was going through a hard time, at the moment. He couldn't help, but remember the old man's words.

_"If this plan fails, then you'll lose your job Terra. We can't afford your efforts to fall short. This is the last time and if nothing comes of it, then you'll be forced to find a new job. I mean it this time."_

Terra sat back in his leather chair and looked over the documents once more.

How? How had something like this happened? M.A.S.K. used to be the top program and now, it was barely known by anyone! After he had dismissed the kids, he couldn't help but think about the looks on their faces after he broke the news to them. They looked so...so...disheartened and angry. This, is why he started the program; to help others and get them through a bump in the road. Everything was going horribly wrong though. After that _incident, _parents had kept their children far away from M.A.S.K. But could Terra blame them? The worst had happened with one of the participants' and another had to go to the hospital!

The dark-haired man groaned and scanned his office quietly. Dozens of paperwork had found its way to the ground and the dim lighting made it hard to see. Then, his door creaked open. In came a young woman with serious blue eyes. Terra's gaze met hers and soon the two were staring at each other intently.

"Terra," She greeted him coldly.

"Aqua," He said with equal distaste.

The woman- now known as Aqua, walked over to him briskly. He sat up slowly and then rested his chin on his hands in a business-like way. Aqua towered over him, almost as if _glaring. _

"What do you want _now?_" Terra asked while rummaging through his desk.

"Ansem wants to know how much you've accomplished," She informed solemnly.

"And the man would want you to come here to ask this because...?"

She exhaled before retorting. "Just tell me, Terra and I'll leave soon enough."

"I've found the seven who need help and I told them to meet in my office tomorrow, there. Happy?" Aqua fixed her gaze upon him before turning around swiftly and leaving.

Terra shook his head before muttering something to himself.

"She wasn't like that before."

* * *

- Kairi -

She was furious! She, Kairi, wasn't a freak! So why had the man put her in that stupid program? The nerve he had to say that she needed more help than her fellow peers...It just astounded her!

Was she more _special, _or more 'Privileged'? As he had put it. Kairi hated the word 'Privilege', it just wasn't in her vocabulary. The redhead heard footsteps behind her and turned to see no one.

_'It's probably just my imagination.' _She reassured herself and kept on walking to the dormitories.

The wind blew her hair in every direction and she shivered. This wasn't fair! Why did it feel like the man had basically been calling her a _freak? _She wasn't an oddball or one to be messed with. But...he _had _been right about one thing; Kairi _did _want something out of life, but couldn't find that something. She just felt empty. The girl soon stopped walking abruptly to admire the view that was given.

The colors of the sunset looked beautiful with its purples, blues, and golds all swirled together in one. How could something look so beautiful, yet everyone else couldn't see it? How come every once in a while did everything seem so great, but then seemed to flee away. Sometimes, Kairi hated it when people didn't think of the little things. How come they couldn't see a child's sorrowful face, but could look at the idiocy of another person? She was baffled by another being's mind.

Why did everyone seem so happy to see another hurt? Whether it be someone running into a tree or a car crash. She too though, was guilty of laughing at people and she knew it. She wasn't a hypocrite, for she knew and accepted her flaws. But she had been called one _so _many times. Couldn't they see she already knew where she was lacking. No though, if she pointed out something as innocent as a puppy then somebody would just blow it out of proportion.

She lost friends because everyone thought she was wrong and they were right.

_The truth hurts, just accept it._

It was so hard to accept something though. It was even harder when accepting something your family did. _Especially _when people judge you for their mistakes. She got so angry when people assumed she acted the same way as one of her more disliked family members.

_Why?_

That's when Kairi noticed she had been glaring up at the sky as if held all the answers to the problems. She snorted and resumed to walking. Was she waiting for something though? That's when she heard a voice call her name. She turned to see a figure coming towards her. She adjusted her pink bag and swiftly turned back around. She quickened her pace, not wanting to face the person who had been calling her name.

Why? It was easier to avoid than to approach.

* * *

- Riku -

_'How did this happen?' _The silver-haired boy questioned as he looked down at an angry Xion. She stood there tapping her foot, hands on hips. The reason? She had caught him saying curse words. It wasn't because he was mad at the program M.A.S.K. though. He was mad about something completely different and she knew it. Inhaling deeply, Riku ran a hand through his hair.

"What's your problem?" She asked bluntly.

Silence followed by a little staring contest. Riku couldn't help but _like _her blue eyes. They just looked so mesmerizing and held this brilliance to them. _'Stop.' _He told himself. _'You don't like her, you can't. A leader can never be in a relationship or chaos will break out.' _

"Why do you care?" He asked absent-mindedly.

"What, I can't be curious?"

"Not when it's pertaining to me," He declared.

"Why's that?"

"Because I said so."

Xion took a step closer to him and he shifted uncomfortably. The hallway was vacant and no one was in sight, making Riku feel all the more apprehensive. Why was she getting so close to him? He didn't like it. His shoes squeaked as they hit the white floor. Xion gave him a weak smile, for she understood something.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" He shook his head, trying his best to deny it. "Stop lying."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are, I know it. Just tell me." Her eyes, they looked so pleading, like he couldn't say no to her.

"_No, _I don't want to." His words stung her, but then something odd happened.

Xion grabbed his hand.

He felt his veins turn cold and eyes widen. He tried to jerk his hand away from hers, but that didn't happen. What was she trying to do? He was puzzled and couldn't seem to find the answer. Why was she so interested in his business? From what he could tell, she didn't like him. Suddenly, her hand left his and she walked away.

_- Click -_

_- Click -_

_- Click -_

The sound of her shoes moving farther away from him and sounded irritating. Then, Riku found himself turning around to watch her go and then he said those five needed words.

"Wait, I'll tell you everything." He knew he would regret this soon enough, but at the moment didn't care.

* * *

- Roxas -

The blond plopped down on to his bed and sighed. _'What a day.' _

The drone of cars made it hard for him to think, so he just thought of what Terra had said earlier.

_"You look like him."_

Many people had told him that before, but he was still confused. _Who _did he look like exactly? This made no sense to him. _At all._ Roxas looked up towards the ceiling and let his blue eyes wander. The room wasn't all too messy, with only a few clothes and whatnot scattered on the floor. The window was closed and the outside looked dreary. Making Roxas want to curl up and fall asleep. He soon thought of something that had happened a while back. When he was just a little kid.

_- Flashback -_

_"Ven, he's gone..." His beloved mother choked back tears as she stared at the phone sadly. _

_A tiny Roxas looked at her, wondering what was going on. His mother rarely cried, so why was she? His little mind couldn't comprehend this. The woman paced around the kitchen, muttering things to herself. Soon enough she stopped and placed her hands on the counter._

_"Why'd this have to happen? You can't just go when your brother needs you!" She screamed as if she were talking to someone._

_Roxas' mother sighed and looked out the window longingly. Why did her son have to go so suddenly? This wasn't part of the plan! How could he just magically disappear? She looked up at the sunlit sky and felt the tears come pouring down. _

_That had been the first time he had ever seen her cry._

_- End Of Flashback -_

Roxas sat up with a jolt then put a hand to his head. Who was this 'Ven'? And what had his mom been talking about? The teen sighed once again before getting up off the bed. It seemed like he had to solve a mystery he couldn't figure out. Roxas stared out the window. The leaves twirled around and looked beautiful when put together. A smile played on his lips as if he were captivated by the scenery before him. He was glad something so little could take him away from the problems he faced at the moment.

Then his door opened, in came Olette. He gazed at her in surprise.

"H-Hey, Roxas." She smiled meekly.

How long it had been since he had heard her say his name and then he felt as if everything was awkward.

"Hi Olette." He gave her a casual smile. "How's it been going? Hayner still acting all big and mighty?"

She giggled at his comment and nodded. "He's gotten better though, you would be proud if you saw him now."

Had this been what he was waiting for? To catch up on how his friends were doing?

* * *

Terra stared down intensely at the paperwork. Aqua had changed. When he had been friends with her, she had been serious, but never _this _serious. _'It must be the pressure.' _He thought silently.

Yes indeed, Aqua was quite different now. She had been more carefree before the _incident. _Then, everything had changed and she became more seldom. Nothing made her laugh anymore and Terra wished The Incident had never happened at all. What had surprised him even more was when she stopped working near him. All because of something that he hated to admit to happened. What made everything worse was when it spread. Everyone turned gave him the cold shoulder because of it. Then, M.A.S.K. began failing.

Terra remembered when he could turn frowns into smiles in ten seconds flat. When nothing was out of hand, when the world seemed loving and he couldn't quite figure it out. It changed though. His _whole world _changed

Everything fell apart, but hope was there. It was still shining brightly. He would take the last chance he was given and try his best to fix the mistake that he had made. Take it because he desperately needed it.

**_-FIN- _**

* * *

**_Author's Note: I'm sort of agitated at the moment I just wrote this, but then accidentally clicked out of the tab. The one thing I'm grateful for is though, is the fact that the chapter saved and I don't have to write it all over again. :D Anyways, what'd you guys think? What do you think of the Xion and Riku moment? Also what do you think happened to Ven?_**

**_:D I'm in a semi-happy mood now._**

**_Thank You to:_**

**_Lionessdreamxx98: Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed! I actually didn't know how this chapter would turn out._**

**_X-blade025: I'm glad you think this isn't too fast paced!_**

**_DiveintoHeart: :D I think I had a similar story to this, but never wrote it down...Hm._**

**_Alone With My Darkness: I want this to be a huge success too! But only because I want to send out a message. _**

**_KokoLockhart: Your comment made me laugh! XD I don't know why though..._**

**_Elite Fantasy and riml: Thanks for the alerts!_**

**_It's 12:32 but I really wanted to put this up!_**

**_Originally, musicbox_**


	6. The Little Things

_Facade_

_**SIX: The Little Things**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own KH! When will you people learn that!?**_

* * *

- Kairi -

Her veins ran cold as she heard a certain voice, a voice that was like a ghost to her. The girl whipped her head around to see _him _running towards her. She quickened her pace, not wanting to talk to the boy. Kairi's blue eyes met the sky once more and then, she began running.

_'Why? Why does __**he **__have remember me? I obviously don't want to be remembered!' _Kairi thought to herself as she hid behind something.

Who was she hiding from _exactly_? No other than Sora. Yes, _Sora, _'The Goofball'_. _They had once been good friends, but then he had started to hang out with other people and the two just...drifted apart. Now, he was calling her name as if nothing had changed. As if they were still best buds.

It pissed Kairi off more than anything! How could he think that just because she was in that stupid _M.A.S.K. _program that they were instantly friends again? It didn't work that way.

At least, not to _Kairi. _

Sighing, she shook her head in dismay and leaned against a wall quietly. The teen pressed her head against the barrier that was hiding her from view and then, Kairi closed her eyes. This was all stupid to her, she gritted her teeth and glared at the ground. A breeze passed her, making the girl shiver.

It wasn't fair, how she got stuck with a bunch of people who probably have enough shit on their plate already. This little 'project' was just adding to it! Kairi slowly adjusted the strap of her bag. She was going to stay here until he left.

There was one little problem though, he already found her.

_'This sucks.' _

"Kairi! Why'd you ignore me?!"

Getting away from Sora, was going to take a _long _time...

* * *

- Riku -

She turned around and smiled at him. Riku was finally going to tell her what was wrong! Xion casually strode up to Riku and stared at him. Why was she so happy that he was going to tell her? It wasn't like her to care about something so much. Yet, she did.

Xion shook those thoughts from her mind as she got closer to him.

"Sit down," Riku ordered, Xion obeyed. It probably looked ridiculous to an onlooker, but no one was there to see the two. "Since you already know it's not because of the program M.A.S.K., then I'll just tell you. I should have known about this earlier, but my family thought I shouldn't know until I became older."

Xion looked up at him and brought her knees closer to her chest as she listened.

"So, I just got a phone call and I found out something about my sister. You see, she was in this accident that affected my family greatly, but no one told me what happened. She had just been four when it happened..." Riku suddenly trailed off.

"No more than four years old. One day, she came home crying her eyes out with all sorts of bruises all _over _her body," he said those words with such disgust that it had made Xion shiver. "I was the only one home and I asked her what happened, but she didn't say anything. I became alarmed and called my parents, they came home as quickly as they could." Riku shifted uncomfortably.

"At that point she was crying harder than ever and everyone was worried. My parents took her to the hospital and from that day on, I became the 'Overprotective Brother' type. No one _dared _mess with my sister anymore. Today, I found out why she had cried like that..."

Xion wanted to comfort him so badly, but couldn't find the courage to. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and began blushing had a look of regret and sadness on his face. Like he had lost someone he loved dearly,

"It was because of me. Some jerks had decided to talk about me and she had heard and stood up for me. A stupid thing to do, but she loved me. The bastards got mad and hurt her. Hurt her _horribly, _she even had a _black eye." _Riku had started shaking uncontrollably and couldn't seem to stop.

"It's because I'm an ass to everyone, that's why they talked about me. I didn't know what I said or did would affect someone close to me like that. _Never _in my life would I have thought that..."

A silence followed, but it was somehow calm and nice. Riku had opened up to the person people would least expect him too. It was somewhat _relieving. _Like weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He liked that feeling.

"It's okay if you feel mad at those jerks...You have the _right to. _Riku, don't burden yourself with such thoughts. It's not like you could have been there for her at that very moment. The thing is, you were there for her the rest of the time. That's all that matters."

With that, Xion walked away.

_- Click -_

_- Click -_

_- Click -_

Those last words puzzled him more than anything.

* * *

- Sora -

He stood awkwardly while staring down at Kairi. She looked prettier than when he last saw her, that didn't mean anything though! She glared up at him and suddenly, Sora was met with a very bad feeling. The brunette laughed nervously before putting his arms behind his head. Why'd she have to glare at him like that?

He gave her a weak smile before trying to ask her something. Which, she responded to by walking away. This, was going to be harder than he thought. Quickly, Sora met her pace and made the redhead even angrier. Kairi blew a strand of hair before turning around swiftly.

"Would you leave me alone please?" Her eyes darted from Sora to the café next to the duo. Sora, catching on to what she was about to do, grabbed her by the waist. Kairi felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she furiously tried to kick him. Which, failed since he was behind her. The boy was now chuckling and that made the other teen angrier.

"Sora! Let m-me go!" she demanded.

"Nope! This is what you get for ignoring me!"

"So, embarrassing me is supposed to be a _punishment?!"_

"Yup."

Why you little...!"

"From what _I _can tell, I'm not that little!" After making that statement, Sora's face turned a deep red. "I take that back!"

"Oh, I see, so you actually _understand_ hidden meanings now, huh?"

"I was six, Kai! Six!"

"So? I couldn't hang out with you for a month because of it!"

"It's not _my _fault!"

"_Sure..."_

When he had finally decided to let her go, his plan backfired on him. In the weirdest way.

"Sora, I'd _advise _you to start running. Right about..._now!" _

The two began sprinting and Kairi was yelling curse words at Sora. Onlookers snickered at the sight, since a boy was being chased by a girl. The opposite of what they had seen before. It wasn't _just _because of that though.

* * *

- Roxas -

After Olette had left, Roxas had resumed to staring at the ceiling. His mind wandered once more and it went back to the guy called 'Ven'.

_'Ven, do I know him? Is there something that I don't know about? Ugh...this is getting to be frustrating. I just want to know what's going on!'_ The teen thought to himself.

It didn't make sense, also how did _Terra _know about Ven? What was going on? It seemed like everything Roxas _should _know, were the things that he didn't. The youth got up from his bed and walked over to the window.

His blue eyes took in the scenery, it looked beautiful and reminded him to appreciate the little things. Then, he was reminded of his mother. She had looked so depressed when saying goodbye to him when he was being sent off to the boarding school. She had been crying hard and had said something.

Something that had sounded like '_Ventus'. _Roxas strode over to his desk and sat down. He thought hard about what else she had said, something like: _'You look like him.' _Why was everything so confusing now?

The blond laid his head down on the cold desk and groaned. This was the start of something, he knew that.

What he didn't know was that it was the start of something big. _Very _big indeed.

* * *

- Olette -

The brunette stared down at her notebook intently. She had finally found the courage to talk to Roxas! It was worth writing about. She found it hard to write though, for her excitement was getting the best of her. Hayner and Pence would _definitely _be happy to hear this! They had missed their blond friend for a long time.

No one talked about him though. Maybe, just maybe everyone could repair their relationship and then, everything would be normal again.

_'No,' _Olette thought to herself as she looked down at the paper. _'not everything. This is something new. Something different and I have to grasp it before it's too late. It __**won't **__be like last time.' _

The girl sighed and soon gave up on writing. She tiredly walked over to her bed, but then had to get back up again, for someone knocked on the door. Along the way, she cursed whoever made her get up when she had just sat down.

The person shoved something into her hands before running off. Her green eyes examined the note with curiosity before starting to read it.

_From: Terra_

_To: Olette _

_Meet me and the others in my office at 10:00 AM sharp. You'll all find out what I have planned when you get there._

_Bye._

Olette lazily put the note on her desk before flopping on to her bed. She had a bad feeling about this, a _very _bad feeling...

* * *

Terra sighed heavily. What was he to do? He only had a _year _to make this project a success! That might have sounded like a very long time another person, but this project was his last chance. His _last _chance. Terra stood up and opened the blinds.

Children were scattered all about, playing around without a care in the world. Suddenly, he remembered the times himself, Aqua, and Ven had played around. How they used to be as innocent as children. That changed though, Ven, was gone now and made no return. No traces of where he had gone were left. Nothing. It had upset Aqua greatly when she found out about Ven's disappearance.

It was one of the big mysteries no one could figure out. That kid though, what was his name again? Roxas. He looked a lot like Ventus, the two were almost identical! Like twins, but born at different times. It was starting to get to Terra and he was now having trouble working.

Terra soon gave up and grabbed his jacket. After slamming the door shut, he began sauntering towards the 'Exit' sign. It was time to do a little research.

On Ven's disappearance.

* * *

_**-FIN-**_

_**Author's Note: What do you guys think of this chapter? I probably should have updated earlier but...I was a bit busy. Anyways, I hoped you liked it! This probably doesn't have as much description, but oh well. I was actually a bit iffy about posting this chapter since it's not as long as the others and yeah.**_

_**I'm just glad I got finished writing this chapter! :D What do you think of Riku now? He's not a jerk anymore, is he? Lol.**_

_**Thank You To:**_

_**InomaCallian:Sorry, I can be a bit lazy when it comes to updates! I hoe you enjoyed! :D**_

_**finalfantasy13-2lover: Lol, you're probably one of only people that have told me that! XD **_

_**KokoLockhart: Is it weird that I started laughing at your comment? Not in a bad way, it just made me laugh. Really hard. I think I'm sort of basing Kairi off of my big sis, since she's really blunt and all. XD **_

_**Rockman XeroX:Thanks for favoriting and following! :)**_

_**I should probably apologize to you all for not updating, huh? Well, I'm very very very very very sorry! **_

_**Thanks for all the support! :)**_

_**Next chapter title: 'Bonding Time'  
**_

_**Chapter Seven Preview: "It all makes sense now! The two jackasses are best friends!"**_

_**:D :D :D**_

_**Originally, musicbox**_


	7. Bonding Time'

_Facade_

_**SEVEN: 'Bonding Time'**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own KH! Gosh...**_

* * *

_- Tick -_

_- Tock -_

_- Tick -_

_- Tock -_

_Hours._

It had been hours, yet Terra hadn't found a s_ingle _thing written up about Ven. _Hours. _That was the one thing that he couldn't seem to let go. He had stayed up all night, researching, but the articles all said the same thing: _Member Missing From M.A.S.K._

Terra had grown tired of the stupid headlines and shook his head in disappointment when scientists said they had relatable theories.

_Theories!_

He didn't _want _to hear all this rubbish, all he wanted to do was find out more on Ven's disappearance. The brown-haired man rubbed his temples together as he thought of that day.

Aqua had been quite cheerful that morning, Ven had said that today was a big day for him, and Terra had also been excited. The students of _M.A.S.K. _were going to 'graduate' from the organization, but then...**It **happened.

Flashes of the memory ran through Terra's brain, the sirens, the bright lights, yells, _everything. _So, when did he lose sight of Ventus?

_The accident. _

Ven disappeared when **it **happened.

Suddenly, the man was pulled away from his thoughts when his books fell to the ground. The computer's light flickered off and he muttered a few curse words as he picked up the books. The dim lighting threatened to turn off and Terra quickly scanned the room. Computers and chairs lined up in rows while the floor was carpeted.

What else had happened?

Terra ruffled his brown hair as he thought. What had led up _to _Ven's disappearance? In fact, Ven had done some weird things the day of the ceremony. He wasn't being his usual self, also he hadn't been himself for the past few weeks.

Terra and Aqua had been worried about him, which led to long discussions. Of course they talked in private, but in fear of Ven overhearing, they had hid near an oak tree where no one coud see them. Those talks had led into the night and ended near early daybreak, that's when rumors started breaking out.

People thought Terra and Aqua were trying to keep quiet about their 'relationship'. This rumor greatly upset the both of them. Soon enough, their talks became shorter and shorter, in hopes of the rumor going away.

Meanwhile, Ven had started to slip away from meetings and such more often. He was more mellow and barely flashed a smile towards anyone anymore. It was unusual and soon, it became a hot topic for gossiping.

At that point, everything was falling apart. Terra hadn't realized that before, but now he did. Though, he still didn't understand what happened to Ven, he found out a lot more than he thought he would.

Slowly, Terra turned to look at the clock.

9:40 AM

"_Shit!"_

* * *

- Naminé -

She walked down the hall hurriedly, clutching her books to her chest. It wasn't like the girl was late, but she was _near _being late. Also, she didn't really want Terra being mad at her. Her light footsteps couldn't be heard in the crowd of people surrounding her. The blond looked around nervously before spotting his office. She quickly sauntered over and waited by the door.

No one looked her way, too busy with their own business. That's when Naminé let her mind wander. Soon, she was in her own little world. Her eyes gleamed with happiness and she stood there looking rather dazed. Some people thought she had amnesia, or at least by the looks of it.

Then, the girl began thinking of Roxas. She mouthed his name quietly, secretly wishing she could say it aloud. Sometimes, she hated being mute. She hated how she couldn't communicate with certain people and how people always thought she was sad.

They thought she didn't know happiness. The one thing she surely knew and felt.

In a few minutes Terra was there, looking at the blond girl, clearly puzzled. Then, he just shook his head in amusement and opened the door. Naminé jumped back in surprise, then, she looked at the door. Unsure of whether to follow the man inside or wait quietly by the door, she hesitantly trailed behind him and stood awkwardly by his desk.

What was she supposed to do? Stare at him while he did his work? No, that would look creepy. Stand around?

The youth sighed, feeling as frustrated as ever.

* * *

- Xion -

_10:20 AM_

Xion blew a piece of hair out of her face as she waited for the others to arrive. Where were they? The black-haired girl groaned, growing more and more impatient by the minute. Her gaze soon started to wander. It fell on a picture that showed Terra and a woman with blue tresses. They were both laughing in the picture and someone in the background looked a lot like Roxas was laughing too.

Xion stared at the picture with pure curiosity, it didn't make sense. Terra looked so..._young _in the picture, but now he looked a bit more mature. Roxas and Terra couldn't have known each other! ...Right?

So, why was there this picture in Terra's office of him and two other people? Xion soon shrugged off the silly thought and resumed to wondering where in the world the others were. That's when the girl noticed how nice it was outside.

Birds were chirping and she could hear laughter despite being in an office. It reminded her of when she was little and how her mother would walk with her to the park. The two of them would giggle and share secrets with each other. It was fun and she wished that her mother could just get back on her feet.

Now though, everything was different. Her mother always had dark circles under her eyes and wore this forlorn expression on her face most of the time. Xion could still remember the look she had on her face at the train station.

It looked pitiful for a woman who had once been so strong.

Suddenly, the door creaking open interrupted Xion's thoughts. In came Kairi, Roxas, and Riku. Roxas and Kairi gave sheepish smiles, while Riku walked in confidently. The raven-haired girl face-palmed mentally as she stared at the boy in amazement.

_'As cocky as ever, I see.' _Xion thought as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Ah! Now we can start!" Terra clapped his hands together. "Okay everyone, I'm going to give you all a simple task. For today, you will start with getting to know each other at an café. The café will be where you all meet -"

"What's it called?"

"I was just getting to that, Sora. Also, you don't have to raise your hand. Anyways, the name of the shop is _Clock TwiLight's Café. _ Got that?"

All seven nodded their heads curtly before asking for directions. Then, they were off...

* * *

- Olette -

Her conscience had been right, something _had _gone wrong.

In fact, it went terribly wrong.

Xion stood there, looking downright furious. Riku just stood there, almost motionless.

Everything had started out great, but then, that's when everything took a toll. Everyone looked at the pair, horror-struck. Xion looked like she was on the verge of tears, like she was just about to break down. Roxas and Sora glanced around at everybody nervously.

It had happened so fast, they thought nothing like this was going to happen. It had though.

"I don't _forgive,_"Xion started, her blue eyes gleaming with anger. "and if I do, I don't forgive _easily._"

With that, she stormed off in a fit of frustration. Olette twisted her hair apprehensively as her eyes darted every which way. This was _bad. _Very _bad._

"Wow, man! You really got to her this time, didn't you?"

"Haha, she'll be at his feet in a few minutes though!"

His little 'cronies' continued to chuckle humorously. Riku's eyes suddenly held a dark expression as he turned towards the duo.

"It all makes sense now! The two jackasses are best friends!"

It wasn't Riku's voice though, it was someone totally different. It was...

..._Axel's._

* * *

_**-FIN-**_

_**Author's Note: Ugh..I suppose I should start trying to update sooner, huh? I know I've said this a million times, but... P.S. I actually had this written, but I hadn't gotten to editing it, so sorry for the wait! Also, I'll try to update faster!**_

_**I'm sorry! **_

_**I was going to update, but...Actually, nevermind, you probably don't want to hear these excuses.**_

_**Anyways, who wants Versus and Kingdom Hearts 3 to come out already? I sure do. I actually want to play a bunch of games at the moment, but I wouldn't ask for them. Curse modesty!**_

_**So, what do you think so far? Are things heating up or what? I already know who the antagonists for the story are going to be already! XD There might be more than one antagonist though...Hehe. :D**_

_**Thank You To:**_

_**MoonLitSparklesofTwilight: Your screen-name is interesting...Don't we all feel for Sora? Lol.**_

_**Amulet Misty: Thanks for the bit of constructive criticism! When I read your review it gave a me an idea and it's in this chapter. Can you guess what it is? Also, the reason I made Riku open up quickly was because he felt like he had a lot to handle and sometimes, the weight on one's shoulder gets too heavy. So, he wanted to lift that weight. I hope that makes sense...**_

_**KokoLockhart: See! SEE! I finally updated! ^_^ I hope this cleared up everything! I don't want my readers being confused! I feel odd calling you all my readers for some reason... O.o**_

_**DiveintoHeart: Man, you got it right... -.- XD**_

_**InomaCallian: Thanks! :D**_

_**ThePurpleKittyQuXXn, xHead-in-the-Cloudsx, wonbadan: Thanks for following and favoriting!**_

_**Thank you all, once again! :)**_

_**Originally, musicbox**_


End file.
